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Simmons heads up the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology.

When will we see a quantum computer that runs on atoms?

Every year electronic devices get smaller and faster — following a well-known trend — called Moore's law (Gordon Moore was the co-founder of Intel), which states that the number of components on a silicon chip doubles roughly every 18 months to two years.

For this to happen the size of the smallest feature decreases at the same rate, so that by the year ~2020 it is predicted the individual components on a silicon chip will reach the size of atoms. At this scale their behaviour becomes dominated by quantum physics. We are trying to design and build a whole computer that works in the quantum regime.

Your team have just developed the world's smallest transistor based on one atom. What's next?

Over the last decade we have developed a unique technology world-wide to fabricate electronic devices in silicon at the atomic-scale. This has opened up a whole new field of research, where we are able to manipulate atoms to observe, and try to control, their quantum behaviour.

Now we have developed the technology to make single atom devices, this allows us to answer the following fundamental questions of great interest to the semiconductor industry:

1. can classical devices still work at this scale?

2. can we harness their quantum properties to create a new type of computer, a quantum computer that has been predicted to give an exponential speed up in computational power?

What are the most exciting developments in quantum physics?

This is a field that is growing rapidly so there are many, many exciting developments: researchers are able to manipulate and control both single spins and single photons of light, which I think is phenomenal; people have run algorithms on a small-scale quantum computer demonstrating that in principle the concept works; architectures are being developed for many different implementations, including silicon, ion traps, superconductors and optics to name but a few.

Here the challenges for each implementation are different but complementary so that the field is building an extensive body of information on how to observe and control matter at the quantum limit. This is very exciting.

How do you approach your work?

As an empiricist, I don't really come to experiments with expectations — the world is what it is. However I want to push technology to its limits to see what is possible and understand how things work. The only disappointments I ever have are when you are all set to go with an experiment and the equipment fails. But even then — you get the pleasure of fixing it!

The best part about my work is the amazing variety and the constant challenge. There is always more to learn and I constantly look forwards to those moments when I have a little extra time to read and think.

The most challenging part of my work is learning to accept that there is only so much I can do in a day and knowing that I can't keep everyone happy all the time.

Who are your science heroes?

John Bardeen. He was a very practical person, modest and very down-to-Earth. I read that he played golf regularly with someone for 20 years and they never knew he was a Nobel Laureate!

Michael Faraday. A pre-eminent experimentalist, he is widely attributed for conducting the fundamental experiments that ultimately made electricity viable as a technology. He was also known for teaching himself — an essential tool in life.

What are your secret non-science obsessions?

I love to chill out with my family and friends, planning expeditions and keeping fit. But the thing that brings me the most joy is my funny husband and three adorable children.